


Hame │Home

by LissomTea



Category: Overwatch (Video Game)
Genre: AU, Genji Shimada is a Little Shit, God Jesse Mcree, Hanzo Shimada is a Furry, M/M, Magic, Murder, Okami Hanzo Shimada, f in the chat for Mcree's arm, god AU, godIlovedietyaus, hanzo is a mother hen, its the law, medival times??, no beta reader we die like men, very vague references to canon
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-20
Updated: 2020-10-23
Packaged: 2021-03-08 21:22:22
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 14
Words: 11,799
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27123124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/LissomTea/pseuds/LissomTea
Summary: Jesse has never liked crows. Nor has he ever liked monster hunters in his forest.
Relationships: Jesse McCree/Hanzo Shimada
Comments: 19
Kudos: 68





	1. | One for Sorrow

**Author's Note:**

> For those who are wondering, the flowers, plants, and colors are used for symbolic purposes in this book, I highly suggest you look at the meanings of certain colors, and flowers.

The first time Jesse met Okami, it was  _ supposed  _ to be peaceful. At least, the old protector of the mountains used to say that. But Jesse thought that was biased since the protector was an Okami herself. 

She was the last Okami to stay in his mountains, she died of old age, and suddenly, Jesse spent his teenaged years, and up until now mostly alone in the forest.

He closed off the gates of his forest to non-magic users. Only animals and magically gifted could find the forest, anybody could enter, but only if they could find it. 

And yet, somehow, on one of those fine nights where he laid in his grove, listening to the crickets singing, and watching the night goddess order her stars to dance across the blackening sky, when Jesse heard the shuffling of feet nearby.

Well, not really nearby, it was just that he had extra sensitive hearing, compared to most.

His head lifts up, as the flowers, he braided into his long brown hair seemed to flourish yet again, he brings himself to his feet, grabbing onto a tree branch that extends itself out to him, and whizzes through the trees. 

Eventually, Jesse gets to a small clearing, and his eyes widen. 

A group of  _ malevolent  _ hunters was in  _ his  _ forest.  _ Again _ . 

Yet, they seemed to be crowded around something.

Falling to the ground softly, Jesse finally sees a shadow on the ground underneath the moonlight, struggling it seems.

Lonely, scared, mad. So many feelings spoke to him, and it seemed pretty obvious that whatever those men were crowded around was an animal. 

And yet, his ears perked up, and when Jesse tilted his head to the side (almost hitting his antlers on the tree next to him in the process) Jesse only saw a large wolf, wrapped in a net, their fur white as snow. 

“God, was this thing hard to catch.” One mutters, lifting the net. “I’ve got a claim on its eyes.” 

“Hey now, the boss said he wanted this thing  _ alive  _ and  _ unharmed _ .”

“Aw c’mon, just one eye couldn’t hurt.”   
  


The Okami snaps at the man, their teeth tearing into the man’s flesh.

The aggressor stumbles back with a cry, and Jesse giggles, the aggressor clutching his now bloody stump. 

“It tore off my finger!” 

The Okami spits out the finger onto the ground.

“Tsk.” Okami says. “Foolish. Didn’t your mother tell you to not touch things that aren’t yours?” 

Jesse's grin only grows wider, as he leans against the tree. 

The Okami lifts his gaze to him, and immediately confusion hits Jesse before anything else. 

Jesse gives a teasing wave, and a wink before disappearing into the shadows of the forest. He hadn’t seen Okami for such a long time, and based on the way the hunters were handling him, Jesse would assume that the hunters were doing their job, but hunting for Okami was a rare sight to see, often hunters mistakened them for wolves and attacked them, but nobody hunted Okami’s for sport, or for money.

They were kind spirits, they helped lost travelers find their way home, they were protectors. 

Okami were fast, tricksters, much like himself, but then again, nowadays, with the rise of hunters, some of his fellow magic-users thought it was better to  _ join  _ them than fight them. 

Proving it difficult for people like Jesse or the trapped Okami to escape unharmed.

Jesse shakes his head, knocking on the tree nearest to the hunters, and grins at it, as the tree gives him an affirmation, and its tree branch slowly extends downwards and wraps itself around the nearest hunter.

They’re arguing with each other, deciding how to split the money, and the Okami is struggling against the (now that Jesse can see better) iron net. 

Jesse can feel the clerical magic radiating off of it, but his thoughts are snapped back to the present, when the tree hoists the hunter into the sky and slams him into the ground.

The hunter is knocked out cold, as more trees join in grabbing hunters, throwing them about, slamming them into each other, it's all in good fun, the trees laugh with Jesse, as the Okami’s eyes never leave him. 

Jesse can feel them boring into his skull. 

He crosses the clearing, the hunters paying no mind to him, most busy being beaten, broken, or thrown into the roaring river, or into the sky. 

The Okami doesn’t move, only snaps at him when his hand comes to touch the snout that is poking between the net. 

Jesse shakes his head, grabbing the stakes that keep the net on the ground and pull them from the earth, and he feels a small relief of pain in his feet. The earth thanks him as he pulls the rest of the stakes from the ground. 

The Okami stands up, shaking the dirt off from themself. 

“A 'thank you' would be nice,” Jesse says, crossing his arms.

The Okami snorts, before turning around and walking away, head held high. 

Jesse shakes his head, even if the Okami didn’t say it, they were happier now, and for him, that was enough. 


	2. | Two for Mirth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse continues to talk to the Okami.

The second time Jesse met Okami, it wasn’t good, but it wasn’t bad either. 

They were bathing, and the Okami had entered the water as a wolf and then exited as a  _ man _ . 

“Huh, don’t see that every day.” Jesse remarked as the Okami’s gaze flicked up into the large trees he was resting in. 

The Okami scoffs, pulling on his shirt, pants, and boots. 

“You have been watching me since I arrived, have you not?” 

“Of course I have, still haven’t gotten a thank you for saving your life.” Jesse chuckles, as the trees, chuckle as well. 

The Okami shakes his head. “Thank you.” He says, flatly. 

He doesn’t mean it. 

_

  
  


Jesse figured he’d keep a close eye on the Okami. Jesse almost wanted to speak to him, tell him that the trees would always bend whenever he walked their directions, how the forest creatures would gather at his feet wherever he walked, how the flowers and ivy tried to make their way into the small cave he made a home for the last few days. 

It was comical really, when the forest asked Jesse questions about him, when the trees gossiped about him, telling him to stay away.

While the mice and rabbit told Jesse to talk to him, and the flowers and ivy told Jesse to  _ court him _ . 

Every little voice was telling Jesse to do something different, so, he didn’t listen. However, Jesse was no fool, he didn’t take the forest’s words with a grain of salt, but he didn’t follow them word for word either.

Jesse kept an eye on him from afar, since the trees refused to let Jesse near him. But Jesse left berries and fruits for him by his cave in a small hole that the rocks had made for Jesse (very kind of the rocks to do so.). 

The flowers and ivy managed to weave their way into the gifts, and the Okami always took the gifts, and he always gave something back.

The first time, it was seeds, Jesse wasn’t sure what they were for. He ate some and planted some in his garden. 

The next gift was a fish. 

Jesse didn’t eat meat, he gave him nothing that night. 

The third gift Jesse received was from the Okami himself, his name. It was written in Kanji, that clever man, thinking he could outsmart Jesse. 

Jesse had a cherry blossom in his garden, a small one, but big enough that he could speak to them. They told Jesse it said ‘Hanzo.’ 

On the same piece of wood, Jesse wrote out ‘Jesse Mcree.’, and gave it back to him, accompanied by a small white flower. 

Jesse watched as the man, Hanzo, picked up the piece of bark, scanned it over, and Jesse swore he felt a small part of the man become happy.

Jesse heard Hanzo whisper his name under his breath.

_

Jesse meets Hanzo face to face again when he is perched in a tree feeding birds seeds from his palm. 

He hears the rustling of the bushes as Hanzo emerges, a deer slung over his back.

The two make eye contact, and Jesse grimaces at the dead deer, trying to not hear the forest telling him to take the deer and give her a proper burial. 

The birds hop into his hand, some fly and land on his head and shoulders.

Hanzo walks off without a word, and Jesse tells the birds to follow and annoy Hanzo. 

Later, the birds tell him that Hanzo dropped the deer when a hawk swooped in and started to attack him.

Jesse finds the deer carcass and buries her, properly. 

He apologizes by giving Hanzo flowers and blueberries. 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> If I hear one more Tide ad, or home depo ad, I'm going to go insane.


	3. | Three for Birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse is dumb.

It had been almost a month of gift-giving that Jesse decided to speak to Hanzo. It was pretty obvious where Hanzo was going, to the spring to wash his clothing. 

Jesse met him there, his white robe was discarded, as well as his muted red shawl thrown into the pile with it and the ivy wrapped around his legs and arms slithered away to rest on the tree. 

When Hanzo appeared, carrying his most commonly worn clothes in his hands, he almost looked surprised to see Jesse in the lake. Then again, his golden antlers give him away. 

Hanzo says nothing, and turns the other direction, muttering an apology. 

_

The trees tease him for days after that, saying that he should’ve just said hello instead of  _ bathing in front of him _ . 

Jesse doesn’t talk to them after that, mainly because they are right, the trees are almost always right. He tells them that story of when they weren’t right purely because he was angry and embarrassed, the trees stop talking after that, prideful, the trees always have been. 

The gifts still haven’t stopped, it seems that Hanzo has gotten the message of ‘no meat for me’, and now Jesse gets all sorts of other yummy treats.

Mushrooms, edible flowers, and one-time water in a small wooden, clearly hand-carved cup. Which is his favorite gift so far, he puts a mushroom inside the cup. 

He gives Hanzo berries from his garden. 

_

“Did you mean to flash me like that? Or were you being a typical fey?” Hanzo asks when he finds Jesse lounging on a rock, basking in the sun. 

Jesse shrugs. “Dunno, saw you bathin’ in that lake all the time, so I figured I might as well join.”

Hanzo frowns. “Typically you don’t do that with...strangers.”

“But we ain’t strangers? You know my name.” Jesse replies, sitting up and smiling lightly.

“I  _ only  _ know your name,” Hanzo mutters. “I do not know  _ you _ .”

“Ah, but names are a powerful thing,” Jesse says to the Okami. “You of all people should know that.” 

_

  
  


Winter comes faster than Jesse remembers, and despite him not being bothered by it, the gifts he’s gotten have all but disappeared. 

He pays no mind to it, as Jesse knows food tends to be scarce. He sends Hanzo seeds for him to plant in the spring. 

Jesse tries to find Hanzo, most of the time he sees Hanzo in his cave, curled up next to the fire and surrounded by a thick animal fur, too old for Jesse to catch the smell and figure out what it was from, and too infused with multiple types of magic to figure out what kind of magic it uses. 

He knows it's for protection, but that’s all he can figure out for now. 

Jesse sleeps a lot in the winter, and so does Hanzo so it seems. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	4. | Four for a birth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something bad comes to Jesse's forest...the forest knows its a bad omen.

Spring is Jesse’s favorite time of year. The flowers are blooming, children run about, animal children run about as well. Specifically fawns. He loves to play with the fawns. They’re always so active, so cheerful. 

Jesse feels someone enter his forest, and curiosity gets the better of him, he finds a man wearing leather, black this time, with black smoke drifting from his shoulders. 

He isn’t human. The flowers tell him.

The man is scarred, and Jesse feels the pain radiating from him, Jesse elevates the pain slightly, purely out of pity. 

This man, Jesse has no idea who he is, and can’t catch a whiff of if he’s good or bad. 

So, Jesse follows him, the man takes a straightforward path, first towards the lake, then towards the cave, but Jesse sees that the cave is empty, which is very strange.

He knows fairly well that Hanzo did not leave, surely him bathing in the lake didn’t frighten him off? Jesse shakes that thought from his head and continues to follow the scarred man, and the trees scream at him to stop, to stay away, to avoid the danger, yet no danger comes.

It's only when the scarred man turns in his direction does the entire forest cry out in agony, their screams echoing throughout his brain as the man’s piercing red eyes never leave his own. The energy of this man hits Jesse before he can inhale a sharp gasp, screaming, god there was so much screaming, so much pain, agony, life being drained by that man. He knows who he is almost immediately. 

Jesse feels the tree he’s on grab his waist with a branch, and launches him into another one, dragging him towards safety, despite his cries and pleads to let him go. 

The scarred man’s eyes never leave Jesse, even when he fades from view. 

Jesse dreams that the man slits his throat while he sleeps. 

_

Jesse wakes up in his hut, and makes breakfast the next morning, shaking the sleep of himself as the ivy on him shivers with delight, saying they’re glad he’s safe.

He knows that the forest knows he’s angry with them. 

Normally when he wakes the forest would greet him, or even tell him that something is wrong, but today, there is nothing. 

When Jesse steps out of his hut to tend to his garden, he hears the cherry tree weeping. Jesse comes to their side. 

The cherry tree says something about time and blood, but Jesse knows the cherry tree speaks in riddles since spring has started, and he begins to worry about the forest, and Hanzo.

_

Jesse searches the forest, he searches the cave, the lake, the rivers, the other groves, he asks the deer, the foxes, the wolves, and the bears to help him. 

It seems the Okami doesn’t want to be found. 

Jesse finds him anyway, the Okami is sitting at the top of the hill, in the center of the forest, the hill which Jesse came out of. 

Hanzo notices Jesse is there. 

“Why do you bother me so?” Hanzo asks.

Jesse looks Hanzo up and down. “What...happened here…?”

Hanzo gives him no reply. 

Jesse looks around the field, arrows and scorch marks litter the space.

Something bad happened here, the flowers tell him to tread carefully. 

Jesse sees the almost empty quiver on Hanzo’s back. 

“I must leave,” Hanzo begins, sitting up but not yet turning to Jesse. “They’ll find me, and if they find me, they’ll find you.”

Jesse raises an eyebrow, crossing his arms. 

“You know what I mean. You follow me like a lost puppy,” Hanzo says. “Am I truly that interesting.” 

Jesse grins. “Yes.” 

Hanzo scoffs and curses under his breath.

Jesse comes to Hanzo’s side, ignoring the plants that grow under his feet. 

“Really made a mess of the place, huh?”

Hanzo sighs. “I am sorry, I did not mean to.” 

“I know you didn’t,” Jesse says, softly. “Here.”

Jesse crouches down, again, ignoring the plants growing around him, and softly places a hand on Hanzo’s marked arm.

“Wh-” Hanzo lifts his arm, but Jesse gently guides it into the ground again.

His marking whirl to life, as the arrows that embedded themselves in trees, earth, and somehow, rock, fall out and gather at Hanzo’s knees. 

The earth begins to repair itself, the holes in the ground grow vegetation, the cracks in the rocks seem less jagged, the grass that was torn up regrows, and the trees with holes regrow their bark.

All in the while, red and white light dances through the sky and the area around them.

Hanzo doesn’t say anything, he tries to form words, to say something, but the only thing that fills him is the warmth of Jesse’s hand on his own, and the small yet magical noises that the dancing, healing lights make.

Jesse watches as lights gather on Hanzo’s abdomen. 

His hand leaves Hanzo’s. 

“You’re hurt, they sense it.”

Hanzo raises an eyebrow.

“They?”

“The forest.”

Jesse laughs, as a small ball of light presses into Hanzo’s cheek repeatedly.

“The forest likes ya,” Jesse says, swinging Hanzo’s arm across his shoulder. “Don’t worry, I’ll fix you up.”

“You’ve...done so much for me.”

“Anything in m’ forest is under my protection.” Jesse simply replies. “The tiniest plant to the tallest mountain...even a powerful Okami.” 

_

Jesse brings Hanzo to his hut and tends to his wounds. 

“Talon,” Hanzo says. “Monster hunters of sorts, except every monster they bring in doesn’t leave. They’re sold off, body parts, souls, anything they can profit off of. Some are lucky to be sold as servants.”

Jesse wraps the moss around Hanzo’s stomach wound. 

“Why are they after you?”

Hanzo doesn’t reply at first, but he lifts up his arm, to which Jesse sees golden marking etched across his skin, similar to the ones from the man earlier. 

“This.” He replies. “I can summon two spiritual Okami’s by will, using these rules given to me by my parents. My...magic of sorts...it amplified your own, didn’t it?”

Jesse raises an eyebrow.

“Nothin’ I ain’t done before,” Jesse says, his gaze turned away from the marking.. “Used to have an Okami that lived here, called her Ana. She died a while ago.”

  
  


Jesse turns back and sees the marking. 

“Huh, well that’s pretty fancy, ain’t it?”

“It is a  _ curse _ . I cannot stay in this form for long, the spirits are restless, even more so since I left my homeland, and have become a wanderer. They wish to explore...but it is dangerous.”

“Why not let them then? There’s no harm in lettin’ them out for a few.”

“They cannot leave my body, it’s either I am a true Okami, and they roam free, or I am human, and they are tucked away.” 

“Hm,” Jesse replies. “So they want you ‘cause of that?” 

“Yes. It is rather rare for humans to possess such an ability.” Hanzo mutters. “Werewolves are similar in my specific case, but I can control whenever I turn...most of the time.”

Jesse finishes patching up the wound. “Now then, you need to rest.”

Hanzo looks like a kicked puppy. “I must leave, tonight.”

“Darlin’, Okami or not, that wound kept you at that hill, ain’t it?”

Hanzo gives no reply. 

“That’s why you didn’t return to the cave, or..wherever your new home maybe.” 

“I made a small camp in the woods, mmh..west of here.” 

“That’s a long way from that cave.” 

“I did not wish for him to find the cave...or you.” 

Jesse pauses. “ _ Him _ ?”

“The reaper.” 

A chill goes down Jesse’s back.

Hanzo sees this, confusion written on his face.

“You’ve...heard of him?”

Jesse swallows, hard. 

“‘Course I have. He’s the god of  _ death _ , or at least, that’s what the forest calls ‘em,” Jesse replies. “He doesn’t care for nature, for life, he just takes and takes. Squeezes everythin’ outta ‘em until there’s nothing left. He consumes all, never leaves survivors, burns down entire forests by utterin’ a simple phrase, black fire..devil’s fire.” 

At this point, Hanzo can tell that Jesse’s rambling. He feels the moss tighten on his abdomen, and the flower in the tiny cup that he carved for Jesse, closes up. 

The entire forest seems to tense. Hanzo places a hand on Jesse’s wrist, ever so softly.

The two men say nothing, Jesse is the one to leave this time. 

_

“Take me with you.”

“ _ Excuse me _ ?” Hanzo asks, as his last item is shoved into his leather satchel. “I cannot do that.”

“Why not?” Jesse asks, leaning forward on the rock, mere inches from Hanzo’s face. “I can’t just sit here while yer bein’ hunted like prey.” 

“Why do you care?”   
  


Jesse isn’t sure what the answer is. 

_

Jesse knows Hanzo leaving tonight, he can’t do anything about it. He tries to think of something to make him stay, but nothing comes out. 

He doesn’t want to pull the ‘they’ll come for me.’ card. No, that’s just stupid. 

Hanzo leaves that night, and Jesse watches him leave.

  
  
  
  



	5. | Five for Silver

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse knows when the forest cries out in fear, he just wishes he listened.

Life is rather boring without Jesse observing the Okami. The forest is still restless, and anxious, they keep him hidden, steer him from main paths. 

He doesn’t know why. He has a dream that nothing chokes him. 

_

He’s gathering berries when he hears the shout. A deer. 

Jesse drops the berries and runs through the forest, and finds the deer, wrapped in a net. 

The trees yell at him to leave her. He doesn’t listen. The minute he steps towards the door, metal chains come screaming out of the bushes, men with pitchforks and torches yell phrases, he screams as the chains burn his skin, and the forest cries out as Jesse falls to the ground, cursing out the horrid men that laugh as Jesse suffers on the ground. 

The chains form a net, and a figure lumbers over him, the black leather is the only thing he recognizes. 

_

Jesse is in a large cage, and men are shouting out prices. God, does he hate it here. Everybody is so mad, greedy, and  _ smells of death _ . 

He is ‘sold’ to a large man, the man grins at him and brings him to his house. Jesse is stripped of his clothing and is instead given rags, the flowers are torn from his hair, the ivy is burned in the fire, and a thick iron collar is attached to his neck. 

It burns whenever he uses his magic. He feels like a caged bird, as this man throws a party every night, and people gawk at him, some say he’s beautiful, others say he’s a monster.

One even tried to buy him, and another was so bold to try and ask if he could  _ fuck him _ . Even if Jesse doesn’t know what that means, the small flower vase next to him tells him that it is bad. 

He misses his forest.

_

Jesse is sold off to another person, a young man this time, he is kind to him. He is fed, his children play with him, although he is treated like a monster most of the time, he enjoys it here. 

The mansion is attacked, and he is hauled off by men in leather yet again, screaming in another language, Jesse can’t do much of anything, the trees, trees that he barely spoke to cry out in agony, and Jesse swears he can faintly hear his own forest crying out as well. 

_

Jesse is caged again, and isn’t stripped of his clothing, or given rags. But he does escape. He makes it to the town before a couple of monster hunters catch him. 

He’s given back to the cruel man who took him. 

The man cuts off half of his arm as a ‘punishment’. 

Jesse doesn’t try to escape anymore. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	6. | Six for Gold

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse finds himself at the hands of a man named Akande, and he sees a face he never thought he'd see again.

This man ignores Jesse now. He keeps him in a cage in his office, Jesse is still dressed but his clothing is dirty and ripped. The man gives Jesse things that contain meat, Jesse never eats them, and the man slaps him in reply. 

Jesse’s face hurts. 

“Akande.” A woman says. “He is here.” 

Jesse raises an eyebrow, but his cage is lifted from the ground and into a small empty room. 

He hears shouting around him, but it's too dark to see anything at this point. 

Suddenly, he flinches as what seems to be two doors slam open, one of the doors practically falling off the hinges. 

And yet, Jesse’s eyes widen at the figure in the doorway, Hanzo, accompanied by another man, who wears a similar pelt, except black, and he has white markings. 

The one with the black pelt perks up at Jesse.

“When you told me he was something of mystery I didn’t think you meant a forest nymph!” 

Jesse scoffs. “I ain’t a nymph,” He corrects. “Minor Forest God.” 

“Oh.” The black pelt says before Hanzo pushes past him and comes to the cage.

“They didn’t hurt you, did they?” Hanzo asks.

Jesse looks at him, and Hanzo can practically feel the pain radiating off of him. “Which ones?” 

Hanzo’s eyes widen. “ _ Which ones _ ?”

“Damn Hunters got me, the man you fought...he wore black leather didn’t he?” Jesse asked, as the man in black fur fiddles with the lock on his cage. 

Hanzo stares. “Reaper...he came to your forest...and took you?”

“Not only that, he  _ sold me off _ , like I was some...somethin' _ to own _ or...somethin’ like that,” Jesse mutters, leaning his head through the bars. “They called me a monster, I ain’t do nothin’ wrong to ‘em, hell, I ain’t never bother any of ‘em either-”

“Jesse, please. Once we get you out of this cage, and we get that thing off of you, we... _ I  _ shall return you to your forest.”

“You promise?”

“I promise.” Hanzo then turns to the man in black pelt, whose tongue is sticking out as he tries to break the lock. “That is my brother Genji, in case you were wondering.”

Genji perks up at his name, and grins. “Hey.” 

Genji can’t break the lock, and draws his katana, weaving it through the cage door, and opens it with a crack.

The lock smashing to the floor rather loudly and echoing from the room and down the hall.

Hanzo gasps and pulls Jesse out of the cage.

“They most likely heard that,” Genji replies. “We must leave.”

The three hurry down the hall, as Genji kicks or throws any guards to the side, Hanzo covers for him, taking out any stranglers. While Jesse stays behind Hanzo, not letting him out of his sight. 

Jesse, Hanzo, and Genji find themselves at an office when a large group of guards blocks a few hallways, where the man, Akande, sits, smiling. 

It becomes clear to Jesse that the two came here to rescue Jesse and leave with Jesse, not lay havoc on everybody in the mansion.

“Hmph, I was wondering when you would show up, Hanzo.”

The doors slam shut behind them, Jesse grabs the door handle, before rearing back with a shout, a similar burning sensation filling his hand, and trialing up his arm.

Hanzo is in front of him, putting a soothing hand on his shoulder, as Genji extends his sword towards Akande. Jesse realizes that Genji is missing an arm. 

Jesse suddenly feels warmth envelope his hand, and the burning sensation disappears. 

He hears a laugh from Akande. 

“The last time you tried to fight me, you lost your arm,” Akande’s grin fades. “Or was that your brother?”

Jesse gives Hanzo a look, Hanzo fails to meet Jesse’s gaze.

Jesse is given no warning before Akande barrels towards the group, the three easily evading the large brute of a man when Hanzo grabs Jesse and pulls him with him as he jumps to the left, while Genji jumps to the right.

Genji hurls his sword at Akande’s abdomen. But Akande whips around, grabbing the blade end and throwing Genji over him and into the wall. 

Hanzo shouts something before Akande turns back to Hanzo and Jesse. Jesse is currently being cradled by Hanzo.

“I’d like you to return what is mine.”

Jesse’s face contorts into rage. “I ain’t yours, I don’t belong to anybody.”

Akande frowns. “That’s what they all say, soon, I should’ve taken your  _ tongue  _ instead of your arm.”

Jesse feels a growl erupt from Hanzo. 

Jesse also feels fear pour into his body before he can register Hanzo shoving him to the floor as Akande runs at the two. 

Hanzo grabs Akande’s fist, as the markings on his face and arm glow brightly, and Jesse feels the magic radiating off of Hanzo. 

Genji is on his feet again and jabs his sword into Akande’s leg, and Jesse scrambles to his feet watching the three men fight each other. 

Jesse doesn’t do much of anything. He wants to, he tries too. But the burning on his neck continues. 

He grabs the collar and pulls, hoping that by sheer force it will break, but it doesn’t. 

Instead, he tries a different approach. 

He looks around the room, a vase of flowers sits near the desk, as well as bushes outside the window. 

_ Use half of your magic to heal the wound, and the other to call out to your brethren. _ Jesse thought. 

And he does so, despite the pain that automatically fills him when the flowers move from the pot.

The healing magic only works so slightly, easing the pain for a second before it comes back tenfold, Jesse has to bite back multiple screams as ivy and bushes wrap around Akande, rendering him useless. 

The plants begin to get ripped up, and Akande turns to Jesse, eyes flared with anger, he throws Hanzo off of him and out the window, but thankfully, and almost without thinking, Jesse tells the bushes to catch Hanzo.

Genji is thrown into the desk.

Akande runs at Jesse grabbing him by the neck and slamming him into the wall. 

His back is towards Akande and his arms scramble for a weapon, anything to help. Through his scrambling, Akande grabs one of his antlers and mutters something about them being fragile. 

And he  _ pulls _ . Jesse lets out a scream and hears a deafening snap, as pain shoots up his body and settles on his head. 

Jesse sputters when Akande lets go of him and Jesse falls on the floor, clutching the stump where his left antler used to be. 

The antler falls to the floor next to him, he watches as it fades to dust, and the wind sweeps it out through the window. 

He feels pure and utter  _ rage  _ come from Hanzo, and hears a howl erupt, and a white form forces itself into Akande. 

The two scuffles on the floor, blood falling onto the floor, Hanzo and Akande’s both. 

Genji comes to Jesse’s side. 

He throws Jesse’s arm over his shoulder and makes their way across the room. 

Genji kicks the door open and the two run down the hall.

Jesse no longer hears Akande grunting but hears him scream instead. And as they exit the mansion, Jesse hears a howl, followed by more pained screaming.

The forest shakes in fear. 


	7. | Seven for a secret never told

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse manages to escape, thanks to Hanzo and his brother, Genji.

Jesse finds himself in a small bed, with bandages wrapped around the stump. 

“It’ll grow back,” Jesse tells Genji when Genji hands him a soup filled with vegetables. “Don’t worry.” 

Genji offers no reply. 

It's the middle of the night when Hanzo makes his way to the house. He’s battered, bruised, bloody, but Jesse senses..no.. _ knows  _ that the blood is not Hanzo’s, he isn’t quite sure if that frightens him or not. 

The trees for once tell him not to worry. 

Jesse dreams of his forest that night.

_

Jesse almost tries to grow Genji and Hanzo’s crops, but the burning at his neck makes him fail to do so. 

“They’ll grow better,” Jesse says. “Not instantly but, better.” 

Jesse goes to bathe in the lake, he’s dirty, and the small forest on the other side of the lake welcomes him, whispering words of reassurance, hoping for him, praying for good fortune, and for him to return home. 

Jesse looks like himself again, when he is clean.

His golden eyes are no longer dull, and brown hair was cut at some point, now it hangs just above his shoulders, he no longer has his robes, but it makes up for it, now that he has got  _ actual  _ clothes. They smell faintly of Hanzo. He’s wearing a blue and white kimono, or whatever Hanzo called it. Jesse didn’t recognize the clothing, so he figured he’d ask. 

When he returns to the hut, Genji gestures to the path behind him, as it seems that there are flowers and vegetation growing within every step Jesse takes.

Jesse says that’s why he tries to stay off of the ground. 

“Every seed decides it's a good time to show its face.” He says, cheerfully. Despite the growing pain in his neck again. 

_

Hanzo and Jesse are packed for the journey ahead, with Genji leaving a day before, to make sure there aren't any surprises waiting for them. 

Jesse is worried, Hanzo assures him that his brother is even lighter on his feet than Hanzo is. 

The days blur by, small talk and conversations consuming the two. 

Jesse hears tales of Hanzo’s land, ‘Hanamura’ was its name. 

“Me and my brother were the children of a long line of noblemen,” Hanzo explains. “We made peace with the spirits in our land, and in return, they gifted us spirits to guide us in our journey..or that’s what my mother told me as a child.” 

Jesse wonders what a ‘mother’ is. 

“It's someone who takes care of you,” Hanzo says. “Who loves and protects you unconditionally.”

Jesse nods. “Kinda like you?”

Hanzo spits out his soup. 

_

They aren’t far from his forest, Jesse can feel how familiar the grass is here, how some of the grass calls his name. 

He almost lets out a laugh when the wind beckons him home. 

They make it to the forest, and the moment he steps into the forest, he feels his stomach drop. 

Despite the forest giving him his white and red robes back, the trees don’t greet him, the animals don’t gather. 

Nothing. 

He’s met by silence. 

It's when he smells the smoke that he starts to run. 


	8. | Eight for a Wish

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse's forest burns and Hanzo learns what happens when a god loses their realm.

Jesse has to watch his forest burn that night. When he returns nothing is left. A few animals escape. A mother deer comes to him with a leg wound, he heals it. 

The animals gather around him, asking him what to do, where to go. Jesse doesn’t know. 

He feels water drip from his eyes and onto the ground, that Jesse realizes what’s happening. 

He’s standing at the edge of the forest, and with a quick spell from Hanzo, the fire was warded off from the rest of the plains. 

But the grass underneath him is dying, every time one of his tears hits the ground. The animals back away, frightened, shivering. 

Jesse suddenly doubles over, black..whatever it is, he isn’t entirely sure, spills from his mouth, his eyes, Jesse feels tears filling his eyes as well, mixing with this posion that surges over his body. He coughs, grips his robes, despite it losing their colors, Hanzo runs to Jesse’s side, putting arms around him and asking him questions. Most of which are drowned out. 

“Jesse?”

Hanzo turns to Jesse. 

Hanzo tries to ignore how Jesse’s robes are black and grey now, and how his entire eyes have turned black. 

_

Jesse cries a lot. If it's what you can call crying.

His tears are all black, the plants no longer speak to him, the forests always die around him instead of growing around him. 

Hanzo blames himself for this and distances himself from the forest.

Genji has to give Jesse shoes to wear, ankle wrapped shoes, so he doesn’t leave a trail. 

For now, they are at an inn, while Genji twirls a golden feather in his hand. 

“She might be able to help him,” Genji tells Hanzo.

Hanzo doesn’t listen, and turns to Jesse, almost hoping he’d give any sign to not talk to the witch. A simple shake of the head would be enough. 

Jesse doesn’t talk much anymore. 

_

Hanzo caves after day three. 

Jesse’s hair has turned white by now, it feels like paper when touched. 

Genji calls upon the witch.

And the witch comes. 

Tension fills the room as the witch looks at Jesse. Ignoring the black slime that drips from his eyes, ignoring how pale and sickly he looks. 

Jesse doesn’t say a word, doesn’t struggle against her.

“They’ve burnt down your forest,” The witch says. “How cruel..” 

Jesse responds to her, much to the two brother’s surprise, by lifting his head up and simply whimpering in her direction. 

The witch sighs. 

“Jesse, your mother would hate to see you like this.”

Jesse makes a noise in his throat again. 

“I know you did not think she was a mother, but Ana truly was,” The witch says. “Think about all the things you have done, what was the most common part of it?”

Jesse doesn’t reply at first, but a soft voice makes its way through his lips. 

“Okami.” He whispers. 

The witch smiled, petting his hair.

“Ah, Okami, they’ve always watched over you,” The witch says. “Always.”

The witch turns to Hanzo. 

“Go back to his forest, bring him to the hill in which he came..he will know what to do.” The witch pauses. “But you  _ must  _ be with him when he finds the hill..that forest..dark magic has found its way within its roots, and it will know what Jesse is trying to do, and who he is, tread carefully.” 

Hanzo doesn’t respond. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Haha, can you tell I have a kink for the happy-go-lucky character losing everything lol


	9. | Nine for a Kiss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo speaks to the witch of the west, and for once she is straight forward.

The journey back to the forest is long and tedious. Jesse never eats, never sleeps, and sometimes Hanzo has to take Jesse back to camp, because he begins to wander off. 

Hanzo knows where Jesse will go. But he worries as the days go on, he becomes more sickly, thinner, slower, like a ghost, a banshee as Genji called him. Hanzo fought with Genji about that. 

The two brothers didn’t talk for a good couple of hours after a few choice words were thrown. 

“I’m trying,” Hanzo says.

“I know.” Is all Genji replies. 

They cannot travel by forest, too many plants die, too many animals attack them, Jesse is a walking time bomb for nature. 

It’s beginning to get harder and harder, for Genji as well. 

Normally, Genji would go ahead, but the animals ignore Genji, run past him even, just to attack Jesse. The animals wish harm upon Jesse, nobody else. Animals don’t act like this. 

Hanzo knows that mother nature has never liked those who take too much from her. 

_

Hanzo dreams of Jesse, Jesse’s smile, his laughter, his touch. But when he wakes he sees a ghost of Jesse, entirely black eyes pointed towards the floor, posture stiff as a bored, robes flowing lightly, without any wind to guide them. 

His hair is short still, and that too has become white and stiff. 

A few travelers on the road have called Jesse a ghost, some have tried to exorcise him. Hanzo’s doesn’t let them, he never will. 

He will protect Jesse, even with his life. 

Hanzo almost laughs to himself. 

Jesse was right about Hanzo being his mother. 

_

When Hanzo wakes in the morning, he sees the hill that Jesse cried on. No sign of animals, or curious children. He recognizes the area where he watched Jesse crumble to pieces. It’s the most barren, the most dead. 

This normally wouldn’t worry him. But as they get closer to Jesse’s once-proud forest, they see the dark clouds rolling over the sky, and settling across the forest. A thick grey fog covering the ground, and Hanzo swore he sees eyes looking at the three through it. It sends chills down Hanzo’s back. For once, he is afraid. Not for himself, but for Jesse, and Genji. 

The two brothers pause, remembering the words the witch told them. 

Genji gives Hanzo a concerned look, Hanzo nods his head, the three enter the forest.

Hanzo swears that the forest did not have so many holes in front of it. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	10. | Ten a Bird you Should Never Miss

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo and Genji find out what the witch meant by dark magic residing in Jesse's forest.

“Why are there so many holes?” Genji finally says after falling into his sixth one. 

Hanzo pulls him out.

“If you fall into another one, I will not pull you out.”

Genji rolls his eyes. 

“I can do it myself, easy peasy.”

“Then why-”

A hand goes up to cover Hanzo’s mouth. Hanzo realizes why he’s been silenced, as he hears scuttering around him. 

Hanzo silently draws an arrow from his quiver, notching it within the string.

Hanzo notices Genji drawing his sword, and pushing Jesse behind the two. 

Hanzo feels the earthquake under him. Without thinking the two Okami’s dive to the side, Genji takes Jesse. 

A cry and a monster bursts from the ground, turning to Hanzo and letting out a shriek, before burrowing itself under the ground again.

More shrieks are heard as Hanzo scrambles to his feet, the noise echoing out of the holes. 

“What-”

“On your left!” Genji cries, throwing three shurikens.

The creature narrowly misses Hanzo, as it shrieks in response to being stabbed by the throwing stars.

Hanzo’s eyes widen.

“What’s an Ankheg doing all the way out here!” Hanzo says, firing an arrow at the beast.

It burrows underneath the ground again. 

“It’s probably drawn to Jesse!” 

Hanzo groans. 

“Hey! It isn’t Jesse’s fault, you ass!” Genji replies as the ankheg appears and Genji lodges more throwing stars into it, and Hanzo fires an arrow directly into its eye.

Blood sputters from the wound, and the Ankheg shrieks, burrowing back into the ground again.

They hear scuttering underneath them.

“Han-!” 

Genji cries out as the ground caves underneath him, and Hanzo sees not one, but  _ two  _ Ankheg’s burrow into the ground yet again, bringing Jesse and Genji with them. 

  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha, The chapters are a tad bit longer now because its more present time than just random excerpts. I'd also suggest if you see a color or type of plant mentioned, you'd look up the meaning, lol. I love symbolism.


	11. | Eleven for Health

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo finds himself alone yet again.

Hanzo is left alone. He shakes his head running towards the large hole in the ground. 

He sees the tail of one of the Ankheg scurry down one of the many tunnels. Hanzo hops down, landing with a huff. 

He sees the tail’s shadow in another tunnel and runs after it. He keeps seeing shadows, he keeps finding dead ends, and eventually, he finds an end that gets the better of him. 

He lets out a cry of frustration, running back down the hall and entering the multiple tunnels. He realizes that within his frustration he has gotten himself lost. Great. 

He puts his bow on his back, calling out to his wolves, Kenji and Tomo. They take over for now. Hanzo feels his bones crack, his jaw becomes longer. 

Tails emerging from his lower back. 

He still cries out from the pain of his organs practically rearranging themselves, despite how often he’s transformed, he will never get used to the pain. 

The Okami looks around, and Hanzo tells it to focus.  _ We’re too excited _ , it says, it hasn’t been able to explore in so long. 

_ “Explore the caves,”  _ Hanzo tells them.  _ “Find your brother.”  _

The Okami doesn’t reply, but it sniffs the ground before its ears perk up, and Hanzo recognizes Genji’s smell immediately, but Jesse? 

Jesse used to smell of flowers, of morning dew, clean rivers, the forest. He smells like Ash now. Hanzo ignores this, and bounds down the cave. 

They’re getting closer. He hears a cry; “Jesse! Jesse does something, he’s literally eating you!” 

Hanzo groans, Jesse won’t do anything. He knows this. He comes to a large clearing and sees Genji slashing through multiple of the Ankheg’s legs. 

It crashes to the ground, and Genji cries out, the sword thrusting into the Ankheg’s head, and it stops moving. Genji looks at the Okami.

“Already?”

The Okami huffs. 

Genji turns back to the Ankheg, jumping up and pulling Jesse from its mouth. It shrieks in response, but the Okami has already begun to attack the beast.

The two fight, blood flying, the Okami tearing each of the Ankheg’s legs off one by one. It lets out a shrill cry as acid flies from its mouth, directly into the Okami’s chest.

It lets out a roar, stumbles back and into the wall, frantically shaking its head. 

The ankheg runs at the Okami with what little legs it has left, Genji throws stars at him, but its tail slams into his stomach, slamming him into the wall. 

But, the Ankheg stops, mere inches from the quivering Okami, as its head slowly turns to Jesse. Humming coming from it, instead of shrieks. 

It sways over to him, and Genji notices how its scales become less vibrated, the creature shakes more the closer it gets to Jesse. 

The Okami tries to move. Everything burns. Genji takes his belt and wipes the acid off. 

Genji doesn’t notice the black dust that comes from the Ankheg, and drifts around and into Jesse. 

  
  
  
  
  
  



	12. | Twelve for Wealth

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hanzo is injured and Genji is not having a good time being the mother hen of the group.

Making their way out of the tunnels was harder than they thought, the group had been wandering for hours, with Hanzo not being much help. Every hole that Genji has climbed out of has left them too far from the forest, or it has collapsed while Genji tries to climb through it. 

Genji had to hold Hanzo’s hand, as Genji’s bandages for his arm were currently wrapped around Hanzo’s chest, and Hanzo is so disoriented, sometimes the pain comes back tenfold, leaving him whimpering. Sometimes Hanzo feels nothing at all and seems like his old self again. 

“It should be alright, it didn’t melt through your chest, so that’s good,” Genji told him. “But, don’t transform..okay..?”

Hanzo agrees.

Jesse always tried to wander off, Genji didn’t let him. 

When they found their way out, it was night time, and Genji didn’t like the night, he didn’t like this place. 

It was just himself that could defend them from any danger. Genji didn’t like that idea. Genji was all over the place in the field of battle, flanking, defending, whatever spot nobody else could fill in. 

He never worked well with escort missions..not by himself at least. 

Genji sees light up ahead, and smiles widely, grabbing Jesse’s hand and pulls him through the opening. 

This hole doesn’t collapse, and the three find themselves in the forest. Or at least in some part of it. Jesse pulls against Genji’s hand. 

Hanzo looks at Genji.

Genji looks at Hanzo. 

Genji lets go of Jesse’s hand, and the two watch him walk west. 

The two Okami follow him. 

_

The pain returns to Hanzo moments before Jesse stops, he doubles over, gasping and sputtering. Genji shouts, asks him if he’s okay. Hanzo doesn’t reply, just flashes him a look. 

Hanzo turns to Jesse, through half-lidded eyes. His eyes widen as Jesse kneels down. 

Hanzo gets hit with the realization before he knows it. 

“Jesse’s hut...it's gone,” Hanzo mutters. “He’s brought us to his hut.” 

Hanzo sees Jesse scramble around the ruins, the garden, most plants burned to ash, or ash piled on top of the plants so they can’t grow. 

Jesse keeps scrambling, fishing through wood and ash, as dust picks up, throwing itself onto his white robes, staining it black. Staining his arms, his hands, his face. 

The wind is picking up now, the ash starts to blow around Jesse, who’s muttering things under his breath.

“Jesse?” Hanzo asks. 

Genji says nothing as Hanzo stands up, making his way towards the tornado of ash. He calls out for Jesse. 

Jesse gives no response. 

Hanzo calls out again, and Genji does as well. 

There is still no reply. Jesse bends down to pick something up, Hanzo doesn’t see what it is. 

It's only when the wind becomes sharp enough to blow the remains of Jesse’s straw roof does he stop, as the roof slams into Hanzo directly. 

Hanzo goes flying back, and into the ground and Genji shouts his name running towards him. 

The wind stops, and Hanzo sits up, trying his best to ignore the pain in his chest that grows, and his eyes are clamped shut. 

Genji stops asking him questions, and when his grip tightens, he sees Jesse standing above the two. An item in his hands. 

The carved cup. 

However, he notices something, dirt is spilling out of it. Jesse gives no reply. But some of the slime from his eyes drips into the dirt.

Hanzo says nothing.

Genji says nothing. 

But Hanzo’s eyes widen as the slime begins to drip off of Jesse’s face, and once it's all gone, a single, regular tear drips into the cup. 

And this time, a single, purple hyacinth blooms. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  


**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ha ha flowers


	13. | Thirteen Beware the Devil Herself

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Jesse seems like himself again, too bad he still can't talk.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> !WARNING! This chapter contains violence and blood. It's also really long, so yeah.

Hanzo spends the rest of the night holding Jesse. His eyes are no longer fully black, he has no more goop or slime dripping from his eyes, but his hair is still white, and his robes are still black. 

But he just clutches Jesse, whose eyes are wide, like a deer in headlights. The flower he gave him sits between the two, Hanzo knows what the flower means. And if Hanzo could speak without much hurt he would tell Jesse everything. He’ll tell him  _ everything _ . 

How he dreams of Jesse. How he felt when he left. How every, piece of gold reminded him of Jesse’s eyes, or markings. How he couldn’t look at ivy the same when he wandered into an abandoned outpost. 

Especially how whenever he entered a forest and silently hoped that Jesse would be in the trees, smiling at him. 

Hanzo didn’t know that Jesse thought of Hanzo while in captivity either. How he escaped purely to  _ find Hanzo.  _ How every wolf he met on his journey, alive or not, reminded him of Hanzo. How honey reminded him of his eyes, and soft his hands were, how softly Hanzo touched him. 

Genji had no idea what was happening, but he was okay with it, poking the fire with a long stick. 

“So, I’m guessing you two missed each other.” 

Hanzo glares.

“I’m kidding,” Genji turns to Jesse. “Jesse, Angela-” He pauses. “The Witch of the West, told us that you need to find the hill that you came from, do you know where that is?” 

Jesse looks at him and shakes his head. 

Genji’s eyes widen.

“You don’t know where it is?” Hanzo asks.

Jesse shakes his head frantically again and points at the flower. 

“It's alright Jesse, we aren’t mad,” Hanzo asks. “If we...why can’t you remember..?” 

Jesse gives no reply. 

_

When the day comes, Hanzo finds Jesse asleep in his arms. Jesse’s eyes open the minute Hanzo shifts. He looks tired. 

“Did you sleep at all?” 

Jesse shakes his head ‘no’. Hanzo sighs. “Jesse..” 

Jesse huffs, and gets up, stretching. 

He turns to the fire but quickly turns away from it. 

Jesse returns and sits next to Hanzo, his head leaning on his shoulder. Hanzo raises an eyebrow.

“Is there something you’re trying to say to me?” 

Jesse scoffs. 

_

When the group sets out again, they no longer have to worry about Jesse, and Hanzo feels the pain in his chest beginning to subside. 

They come across many places they recognize. Or at least, Jesse and Hanzo do. First, it's the cave, the rock hole is still there, and Jesse feels a small feeling of excitement fill him before it is snuffed out by something else, he isn’t quite sure what, but he’ll figure it out eventually. 

They come to the grove that Hanzo and Jesse healed, despite it being burned, the two can still feel their combined magic underneath the ground, still churning, still strong. 

The next place they go to is the lake. Which is completely dried up. 

Hanzo chuckles at the memory of Jesse at the lake, Jesse knows what he’s laughing about and huffs. 

“We’re running in a full circle,” Genji says gesturing to a tree. “I’ve been putting lines across the trees, in case something happened, or we...like I said,  _ are going in a circle _ .” 

Hanzo shakes his head, turning to Jesse.

“Have you seen anything you might recognize?” 

Jesse shakes his head.

“Anything at all? No landmarks, nothing that sparks any memories of the hill?” 

Again, Jesse shakes his head. 

Hanzo sighs. “We best keep moving, it will be night soon.” 

Genji looks towards the sky. “But didn’t we just get up?” 

Hanzo does notice this and turns to the sky. 

He squints, seeing through the mist, and sees part of the black clouds surrounding the forest parting. Blue sky. 

“What…”

Genji turns to Hanzo. 

“An illusion...but...who...why... _ how _ -” Genji turns to Hanzo. “Even  _ you  _ had to second guess yourself, I-” 

Genji turns to Jesse. “Are you doing this?” 

Jesse shakes his head no. 

Genji turns to Hanzo. “If Jesse isn’t doing it, then who could’ve cast such an illusion, such a powerful one too!” 

Hanzo scans the trees. “I..am not sure, but...I didn’t sense anything when I entered the forest..did you?”

“Of course not. If I did I would’ve told you.” 

Jesse shakes his head no again when the two turn to him. 

“Jesse, I hate saying this, but I think somebody’s taken over your forest,” Hanzo says. "The witch was right." 

Jesse’s fists clench. 

Hanzo places a hand on his shoulder and the wind dies down quickly. 

“We’ll figure this out, do not worry.”

Jesse simply nods his head, and the group walks on again. 

_

Jesse clutches the tiny cup in his hand, as they roam the forest. He should be able to recognize his own forest, so why can’t he?

Everything so blurry, suffocating, Jesse’s hand falls onto Hanzo’s wrist. 

Hanzo spins around, lips slightly parted, his eyes are soft. 

Hanzo takes Jesse’s hand instead, softly smiles, and guides him through the forest. 

Genji comes to a pause, as they enter another grove, surrounded by plants, except they’re all dull, seeming to be dying.

Jesse feels their agony. 

“Hanzo, why would this area not be burned? It’s out in the open.” Genji asks, turning to his brother. 

Hanzo turns to Jesse. “Perhaps...this could be the hill?”

Jesse tilts his head.

“But..she said a hill, this is a grove Hanzo...Angela is pretty straight forward with these sorts of things,” Genji says. “Something isn’t right.” 

Jesse’s grip on Hanzo’s hand grows tighter. 

Hanzo turns to Jesse. 

“We must try.” He says, and Jesse bites his lower lip. “Please.” 

Jesse is hesitant, shifting his weight from one foot to the other, before slowly nodding his head, and letting go of Hanzo’s hand. 

Genji goes to Hanzo’s side, as Jesse makes his way towards the center of the grove. Jesse stands there for a moment, not moving before he sits on his knees. 

He presses a hand to the ground and closes his eyes. At first, nothing is happening, however, Hanzo feels warmth envelope his chest, and peers down, seeing soft yellow light swirling around it. 

Hanzo ignores this and turns back to Jesse. 

And he realizes that his hair has begun to become brunette again, and his robes are turning back to the soft white and muted red colors. 

Hanzo smiles softly. 

Genji turns to him, as ivy slowly trails towards Jesse wrapping around his legs, his arms, ever so softly. 

Hanzo crosses his arms, as the forest seems to come to life. 

But then he notices the ivy trailing up Jesse’s ankles, around his waist, onto his neck. 

Hanzo knows Genji realizes it too.

“Jes-!” Hanzo dives forward, but ivy is faster, throwing him off his feet and dragging him back by the ankles.

Jesse turns back, his eyes wide, and the ivy, no,  _ vines  _ trap Jesse in all of his limbs. Jesse struggles, and drops the cup, grunting and pulling against the ivy. 

Hanzo sees Genji up ahead, cutting through vines that keep trying to trap him against a tree. 

Humanoid figures emerge from the ground, stepping towards Jesse so softly. 

“Vine blights!” Hanzo cries. “How did they even get here? I searched this entire forest the first day I was here, there was no cursed tree, no signs of evil!” 

“It-it must’ve made its way here when the forest burnt down, maybe it has to do with the illusion!” Genji says as he is almost freed from the vines holding him down. 

Hanzo struggles, ripping an ivy strand that wraps itself around his wrist by sheer force. 

Jesse is now surrounded by these blights, and Jesse turns to Hanzo. The largest one leans down to look Jesse in the face, before it rears back, Hanzo hears Jesse sputter, before realizing that the vine around his neck is tightening. 

Genji acts first, coming forward and slicing through a vine blight easily.

Hanzo manages to shoot enough arrows into the second one, for the first time in seven years, he wishes he had a sword on his back instead of a bow.

Genji cuts the vine, choking Jesse, who sputters and inhales oxygen, coughing in the process. 

The vines around Jesse seem to fall, minus the one around his waist. The last vine blight turns to Hanzo and Genji, and the vine around Jesse’s waist hoists him up from the air and carries him through the forest at a quick pace. 

Genji shouts something that Hanzo doesn’t hear before he takes off in Jesse’s direction, the vine blight sinks to the ground. 

Jesse extends his hands out, to call his magic, an alley, to something, to  _ anything  _ that this point. But this seems to keep him away from anything like that. 

A throwing star is thrown into the vine, and it falls to the ground, still for a moment. 

“Don’t throw those things, you might hit Jesse!” 

Jesse looks up just in time to see Hanzo and Genji a foot away from him, but the vine drags him across the ground instead, twigs ripping through his clothing, while ash and soot get on his face and clothing.

Jesse shouts. 

He hears Hanzo shout something in the distance. He hears the crunching of Genji and Hanzo’s feet in the distance.

But the noise seems to get more distance as the wind whips through Jesse’s hair, and soon all he hears is himself shouting, seeming to have found his voice, calling out Hanzo’s name. 

_

“Son of a- !” Hanzo cries out. “We lost him!” 

“Hanzo, you need to calm down-”

“I cannot just calm down! We need to find Jesse, where did-What direction did he go in-!”

“Hanzo.”

“He could be anywhere, the vine leads a trail by dragging Jesse but what if it recovers-What if it kills him-!”

“Hanzo-!”

“What if they eat him  _ alive _ -!”

“ _ Hanzo! _ ” 

Genji’s voice presses through Hanzo’s yammering. “We need to go now, the blight is dragging Jesse on the ground, it's leaving a trail. Jesse will be fine.”

Hanzo nods his head, and the two follow the trail, and Hanzo ignores the marks of fingerprints and hand marks that litter the ash-filled ground. 

_

Jesse is thrown into a dark hole, and when he falls he falls on  _ stone _ . Everything hurts, but...only for a moment. 

His body is warm, warmer than before even, his head feels lighter, and he feels his voice return, stronger than ever. 

He gets up, ivy comes to greet him. Jesse’s eyes widen.  _ The ivy comes to greet him.  _ Jesse turns, seeing light at the end of the hall, the ivy wraps around his legs and arms, this time, without dragging him to some cave. 

He feels the hard stone underneath his feet with the first step he takes, but it's replaced by luscious green grass, and vegetation, just like it used to be.

Jesse smiles, turning away all too quickly to notice the small rhododendrons growing as well. 

_

“'y'know, I didn’t think it would be that easy,” Genji says, peering down the hole. 

Genji turns to Hanzo.

“Ladies first.”

Hanzo scoffs, kicking Genji down the hole. Genji cries out and falls, Hanzo peers this time.

“Are you dead?”

Silence.

“Genji?” 

He hears a laugh. “Yet again, I live!” 

Hanzo rolls his eyes, and falls down the hole, landing on his feet. 

Genji takes out his blade, the soft green light bouncing off of the stone cave. 

Hanzo looks around and looks to the floor. 

“Jesse was here,” Hanzo says. “Hopefully he hasn’t gotten himself kidnapped again.”

Genji and Hanzo walk down the hall, entering towards the light, before Hanzo knows it, he and Genji enter the area, and their mouths open in shock. 

Bright, clear, and glimmering water pools into the large cave, multi-colored crystals cover the cavern, as the light from the sun pools in through an opening through the middle of the cavern. In the middle of the cavern is a hill, a tall hill. Birds fly high, and freely, animals drink water from the river. Fish swim freely. 

Hanzo looks up, his jaw almost drops. 

In the center of it all, is Jesse. His robes now cover his entire body, with a golden stole resting on his arms. 

Jesse is petting the head of a deer, while other animals like bears and wolves surround him. 

Hanzo steps forward, barely even feels himself slip from his human form. 

Hanzo jumps over the river and climbs up the hill. The animals part naturally for him. Jesse grins. 

“Hey.” He says, softly. 

Hanzo bumps his forehead against him, soon turning to nibble and lick at Jesse’s face. 

Genji crosses his arms, shaking his head. 

“I’m really gonna have to wait here all night, huh?” 

Jesse scoffs. “No, you can leave.”

Genji rolls his eyes. “And leave you alone with my brother, no way. He’s seven feet tall, he’ll crush you.” 

Genji leans against the wall. 

Hanzo mouths Jesse’s mouth. “Huh, you tryna say somethin’, Han?”

Hanzo snorts, feeling the warmth of the sun slowly moving away. 

He’s too busy literally courting Jesse to notice anything. 

But the wolf next to him growls, and Jesse snaps his head up, spying a lingering figure in the darkness. 

“Ashe,” Jesse says. “What are you doin’ here?”

The woman, Ashe chuckles. 

Jesse looks up, seeing darkness envelop the hole in which the pours through. 

Genji draws his sword.

“Leave us.” Genji barks.

Ashe raises an eyebrow, before turning back to Jesse.

“Two Okami, and a god...how interestin’.” She spins around. “BOB!”

With that, thunderous footsteps echo throughout the cavern and a mass of stone and lava comes forth, grabbing Jesse by the arms and throwing him into the water. 

Jesse sits up quickly retaliating by sending a gushing wave at the automation. 

Steam rolls off of it, but its once red and orange color soon turns blue, and the water on the automation turns against Jesse, as he feels its spirit slip from his touch. 

The water wraps him up with a vice lick grip, and the water throws Jesse near the ledge that Ashe is on. 

Hanzo’s eyes widened, now recognizing her.

“Warlock,” Hanzo shouts. 

Genji pauses. “Warlock?” 

“A soul harvester-” 

Bob crashes into Hanzo, pushing a hand into his back and forcing him to the ground. Hanzo remains in his wolf form, struggling against it. 

He hears Genji shout and watches Genji jump towards Bob, sword ready, glowing a bright green. 

Hanzo’s eyes widen as Genji’s sword clashes down on the automation, but instead, Hanzo hears a sound he never thought he’d hear, especially from Genji’s sword. 

_ Shattering _ . 

The pieces of Genji’s sword flies everywhere, Hanzo and Genji both feel the magic die from it as the handle clatters to the floor next to Genji, void of all magic. 

The green smoke that drifts off of the sword does not go to Genji, they drift upwards, towards the warlock. 

Hanzo realizes why she’s here.

“It won’t work!” Hanzo says. “Jesse will never be influenced by you!” 

Jesse raises an eyebrow and turns to Ashe. 

Ashe smiles. “Heya Jesse, how have you been holdin’ up lately.” 

Jesse doesn’t reply before he’s thrown from the area and into the hill. 

Jesse quickly stands up and tells the rocks to fall.

They reply, and the rocks underneath Ashe crack and churn, she falls with a cry to the ground, before looking up and narrowly avoiding any crystals that decided to help as well. 

Jesse growls. 

“What are you doing back here?” 

“Taking what’s rightfully mine!” She calls out, loading her shotgun and aiming. 

The first bullet is avoided as Jesse ducks.

Jesse calls upon the water again, which throws Bob off of Hanzo. 

Jesse runs over to him. “Han-”

“How do you know her!” Hanzo growls.

Jesse turns to Ashe, who fires but misses the god by two inches. 

“I guess I should’ve told you earlier, but I used to be human, Han-!” 

The two dart to the side, as Bob attempts to grab Jesse. 

“Me an’ Ashe were in a thieves guild,” Jesse dodges an attack from Bob. “We got hit pretty bad, We were both dyin’,” He dodges one of Ashe’s bullets, it bounced off the stone and strikes Jesse in the cheek. “Ana came to me, said she could help!” 

Jesse’s wound heals, and Hanzo resorts to jumping at Bob, biting at his arm. 

“I died that night, but I got reborn as well, what ya see now!” Jesse yells, calling upon the earth this time, grass and roots wrap around Ashe’s arms. 

“You  _ left  _ me Mcree!” Ashe cries out, magic rippling from her body and slicing through the roots. Jesse visibly flinches. “You left me to die!” 

“I ain’t leave you nowhere! I was fifteen, and I was dying! The hell was I supposed to do-!” Jesse calls upon the crystals, who respond and fall onto Ashe.

Ashe runs, dodging the falling crystals. 

However, Hanzo feels his humanity coming back, and Genji is cradling the shattered pieces of his sword. 

He hears Jesse shout, and finds Jesse pinned to the wall, Ashe has her arm shoved between his shoulders, with a foot jabbing itself into his back. 

Jesse calls upon the water, but the water stops. 

Jesse turns to Bob, who’s glowing cracks are yet again blue.

“Pretty fancy trick huh?” Ashe whispers, watching as Bob grabs Hanzo and Genji, forcing them to the ground. “I’ve harvested so many souls, so many magic users, just so Bob can have control over all forms of magic.” 

Jesse hears a light humming behind him. 

“All thanks to the reaper, who taught me everything I know, of course.” She grins. 

“Liar!” Jesse spat. 

He sees the key on her, red runes and markings carved into it.

“If you have all the elements why do you need me?” 

“I don’t,” Ashe says. “I was just paid to get rid of you...and because you left me." 

"Revenge gets you nowhere-!” Genji says before he lets out a cough, the pressure on his back from Bob forcing the air from his lungs. 

Ashe smiles. “Now then.” 

Jesse sees roots wrap around his wrists, and he commands them to stop, but they do not listen, they instead insult him.

_You left us._ They say.

_ This was all your fault. _

_ The fire was all your fault.  _

_ Everything died because of you. _

Jesse is so consumed by these things he doesn’t hear Hanzo shouting his name. 

However, he lets out a cry as the key is thrust into his chest, no blood comes from him, instead, his magic drifts into the key, the red runes turning gold and red. 

He continues to cry out, practically begging the forest to do  _ something _ .

They reply, grabbing at Ashe’s wrist and pulling the key from her. The key bounces across the stone and lands in the river. 

Hanzo feels strength fill him and kicks Bob off of him.

He runs towards the key, feeling power charge his markings. He turns back to Jesse, who has the barrel of a gun pressed against his head.

Ashe says something about killing him instead, and Hanzo barely hears it over the roar of wolves. 

Ashe looks up and cries out as two large wolves come screaming towards her, they knock her off her feet and continue to pool into her, snapping and biting as gold, silver, and multiple colors of dust pools from her body. 

Jesse stands, watching as her body turns into a bright light, and she caves in on herself, letting out a cry, before bursting into white light. 

Jesse covers his eyes with his arm, but the minute the forest tells him he’s safe, he listens this time. 

Jesse feels a hand rest on his shoulder again. 

An item is placed in his hand, as the wolves return to Hanzo, jumping into his chest, and Hanzo smiles slightly. 

Genji strides up, taking his brother’s side. 

Jesse looks at the key, the runes still glowing its harsh red color. 

Jesse’s fist tightens on the key, before he slams it into the ground, the key shattering into pieces. Dust, similar to the dust that came from Ashe comes from it, going off in different directions. 

First, into Jesse.

Genji hears clattering behind him and sees his sword begin to reform. 

The water rests finally, the animals cheer, Bob turns to stone, and all is quiet, minus Genji’s cheering, and the forest welcoming him home. 

Jesse takes Hanzo’s hands, as the two press their foreheads together. 

Home. 

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  



	14. | Author's note

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Lol you don't have to read this, but you can if you want.

In all honesty, this book was kinda created randomly. I kept reading all these hunter!Jesse x Okami!Hanzo pieces and Hanzo was often interpreted as a forest god of some sort, so I was like ha ha, what if it was the opposite, and then this idea came out. 

It was originally written for my x reader account on tumblr, but then I was going to announce the discontinument of 2//AM (the first version at least), so I decided to write this, so my account wouldn't look inactive. But yeah. 

For the new readers here, I do tend to use a lot of symbolism in my works, especially this one. I'm currently trying to make it so the symbols are more subtle instead of right in the reader's faces. 

For the characters, I'm still new to Overwatch. I think ( ** _think_** ) I have the basic idea of most of the characters, mainly my fav three, being Hanzo, Genji, and Jesse. Otherwise, I'm still working on how to write them. I've only recently gotten into Overwatch, so there are lots of things I don't know about the lore + history of Overwatch. I know most of it, but not all. So bare with me. 

I believe my next work is going to be centered around Mchanzo ( _ **Again lol**_ ), but in a more mundane aspect, rather than magic. It'll be weird because I don't normally write books like this, so y'know. Yeehaw I guess. 


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